Protein shakes are one of the most popular sports supplements and the sale of these types of products has been increasing for the last 3 years. Used by bodybuilders, professional athletes and casual gym goers alike, the humble protein shake has become a regular sight in today's health conscious world.
Despite their popularity, we must remember that not all supplements were made equal. They are not all of the same quality and not all are made with the same type of protein. They all have different characteristics and this must be taken into consideration when assessing their usage in a diet or nutrition program. The most popular types are:
Whey Protein
Milk Protein
Soy Protein
Egg White Protein
Whey Pro
When deciding which type of protein is right for you, there are a number of things to consider, including price, quality and taste. The importance of these three factors normally depends on why you are using this supplement, i.e. a bodybuilder will rate quality as the most important factor, whereas a casual gym goer will most likely rate price as the deciding factor when choosing a nutrition supplement.
Since they all have different attributes, here is a quick breakdown of the different types of proteins available and which one might be the best for your protein shakes:
Whey Protein
Whey protein is made from the left over liquid that is created during the production of cheese. Whey protein comes in two main forms, regular whey and whey isolate. Whey isolate contains a higher percentage of protein and generally demands a higher price because of this.
Milk Protein
Milk protein is exactly that, protein derived from milk. It generally has a good combination of both casein and whey proteins. This makes it a great for use in protein shakes just before bed due to its slow digesting qualities.
Soy Protein
Soy protein is derived from the soy bean. Due its recent popularity in many health food products, many people would be forgiven for thinking that this is a fairly recent creation, yet it has actually been in use since the 1950s. There are a few different types available, with soy isolate being the variant that contains the highest concentration of protein.
Egg White Protein
Egg white protein is the protein that has been derived from egg whites. Egg white is perhaps most popular for having a very diverse amino acid profile and also containing a variety of different vitamins, which other types of protein do not usually contain.
There are other types of protein available on the market today, although the ones above are the most popular. It is simply a case of deciding which is best suited to you and then including that in your next protein shake.
Consider what is most important to you. Is it price, quality or taste? It really does depend on what your goals are, though it is worthwhile remembering that if you really want to see significant improvements in your physique, then you may need to sacrifice price and go with the quality option.